Azula, Daughter of Agni
by Follower of Mania
Summary: What would happen if Ozai abandoned Azula in a dungeon. A dungeon that just so happened to contain one of the most powerful spirits of all time. Have you ever wondered why her fire is blue? AU, Azula/Toph friendship
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Here's my second story! **

**I don't own the most magnificent world of Avatar. Be it Last Airbender or Legend of Korra.**

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The fire nation's dungeons smelled of burning vegetation, blood and mold. It was drafty, cold and was formed completely of metal. The dungeon also just so happened to be located 1 mile below the surface. Thus, if you didn't have an earth bender handy, it's a long walk.

As a matter of fact the stairs leading down to the dungeons were crude and ugly. So garishly ugly that even the sight of them caused little Zuko to burst into tears.

Ozai shushed his son and glanced down to his daughter. She was still sleeping silently.

Azula was four months old. This was her first out of her nursery, so Ozai had reason to worry.

Ursa walked behind Zuko. He had wanted to walk beside her so he could hold her hand but disappointingly the spiral staircase was so narrow that they had to walk in a single file line.

Suddenly Zuko tripped on his short legs and began to fall forward. Ursa reached down and grabbed him before he could fall.  
"Momma!" Giggled Zuko, his earlier sadness forgotten. Ursa smiled down at him and continued to walk with him in her arms.

Zuko reached up and grabbed the ends of Ursa's hair. Smiling he played with it till he slumbered off to sleep. Silence rained as the family walked down the spiral staircase into the darkness of the dungeon.

Thirty minutes passed as the family walked before the stairs ended. Ozai led the way down the tunnel that greeted them. It was covered on both sides with holes, that when activated would pump water at all who tried to pass.

"Welcome to the prison of Agni." Ozai announced. His voice carried out and into the cave. It echoed weirdly, almost as if it was bouncing around behind something.

"You know that you are not welcome here. Petty Prince." A deep voice travelled out of the darkness. It radiated power and heat. Ursa shivered and gripped Zuko's sleeping form tighter.

"I come to form a deal." Ozai answered the deep voice.

"Then speak, before my mind changes." Azula stirred. A smile crossed her face as the voice spoke. It seemed warm to her. Warm and inviting. Much like fire. Azula liked fire.

"I wish to offer a trade. You give me a portion of your power and then I shall gift you one of my children." Ursa starred at her husband in shock.

"Ozai! How dare you offer to trade one of our children for more power!" Ursa's voice was filled with her outrage.

Ozai turned towards his wife in anger. "I make the decisions in this nation! Not you and your pitiful ancestry!"

Ursa cowered from her husband's harsh tone.

"Show me the children," The argument almost seemed to amuse the voice.

"Ursa step forward with Zuko." Ozai was harsh and unforgiving with his orders.

Ursa quickly scurried forward to obey her husband's bidding.  
"This is our eldest son, Zuko."

"I want not of this child. It possesses more of you than your husband, dear lady of fire. I want not some child of Raava."

Ursa smiled sadly up at the source of the voice. She retreated back behind her husband.

"Bring me the girl."

Ozai stepped forward. His stride filled with pride. Even at a young age it was evident that Zuko was a failure. Maybe his daughter wouldn't be one as well.

As Ozai approached the source of the voice Azula let out a giggle. She liked the heat. It was warm, comforting as it caressed her skin.

"I shall take the girl. She is a true descendant of Agni. Much like your brother."

Ozai smirked as he deposited Azula upon the floor. She immediately stopped giggling and began to squirm on the cold floor.

"Now give me the power."

A spark formed in front of Ozai. It was a small little blaze. But it radiated so much power it was baffling.

"I shall take my leave."

With that Ozai grabbed the flame and cupped it in his hands. He led the tearful Ursa up the stairs and away from their only daughter. Ozai had what he wanted.

Together they left their little girl on the dark floor of a dungeon. A little girl that would of grown up to be one of the most powerful bender of her time would now become THE most powerful bender of ALL time.

She was Azula, Daughter of Agni.

And she was raised in the shadows, while never having stepped out of the light.

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**(A/N) Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Oh and Manic Points for anyone who notices the Legend of Korra reference :)**

**~ FoM**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Disappointingly, I still don't own any part of the Avatar universe :(**

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_The Day of the Eclipse_

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Toph slams her hands down deep into the earth on the mountainside. Her sences stretch far and wide within the earth of the Fire Nation.

"I can feel a structure… no I feel two. Both are beneath the Palace. One feels…strange. Almost as if it's radiating power. The other's a complicated network. I can feel footsteps in both…"

"What would the other structure be then? If were assuming that the network is the base…" Aang trailed off.

"I'll investigate. You guys go and find the fire lord." Toph decided.

Aang and Sokka nodded in response.

Toph opened up a hole in the ground. Together Aang and Sokka climbed down into the hole. Toph showed them the way before closing the tunnel behind them.

Toph pats Appa's side. "Go back to Katara."

Seeming to nod in understanding Appa takes off and flies towards the location of the water bender.

Toph takes her earth bending stance and forces the ground open under her. Sighing sarcasticly she jumps down into the ground using her bending to form a slide to guide her.

It takes a minute of the girl to reach the metal exterior of the cage. She forms a landing flat between the slide and the metal.

Gripping the earth to slow her slide Toph slows her decent to a stop. She stands up slowly before walking confidently towards the metal wall. Slamming her open palm into the metal she tears a hole in the metal. Reaching with her other hand she clamps both hands on a side of the metal before pulling it apart and stepping through. She is greeted by darkness.

Silently she detects a large presence in front of her. There appears to be another, albeit smaller, presence standing besides it.

"Azula, light the flames." A deep voice commands from near the location of the presences.

Toph feels fire circling round her. It feel strange though. For this fire feels stronger, more potent, than normal fire.

"Who are you?"

"I am Agni, the spirit of fire. And this is my daughter, Azula." The voice responds. Toph can suddenly make out the two beings in much more clarity. One is a woman. She appears to be smaller than an adult and yet bigger than a child. Toph naturally assumes she's around Katara's age.

The other presence is larger. It seems to take up the whole room. The presence seems to be constantly shifting. Toph can't tell what shape it takes.

"So this is Toph? The one the badgermoles tell us of?" A snarky female voice speaks from the Katara aged female.

"How do you know me! What did the badermoles tell you! How can you even understand them anyways!" Toph fires off questions faster than they could answer them.

Silence filled the room after Toph was done. Her stance had shifted from attack to defence subconsciously.

"Badgermoles inform me of happenings above. I can understand them for I am the greatest spirit. Without me there would be nothing. This is why the dragon's know of the truth of creation. For they too are my children."

"Father. I wish to accompany this child and see the outside." The snarky female spoke after her father. Toph bristled in anger. It felt as though they were counting her as insignificant. She didn't like to be treated like a _doll_.

"Don't I get a say in this!" Toph's angry exclamation was ignored by the spirit and his daughter.

"Of course you may. You have spent far too long here with me. Remember to contact the birds when danger overwhelms you."

"Always Father. I shall forever remember your kindness, not only for riding me of _him_. But also for being my mentor and a true father," Azula paused then. She took a few steps forward and Agni shifted backwards, "Come Toph, we have to aide your friends. I doubt they will be able to fight Zuzu without my aide."

Toph growled at the princess and mumbled under her breath "I'm no dog."

"I'm a people person Toph. I know exactly what you want. And currently that is to make sure that your friends are safe."

Toph sighed and followed Azula out of the dungeon. Without a second thought she sealed the metal wall shut behind them. Together the two walked in silence.

Azula however decided to break that silence, "What's it like? I mean living up and outside of course."

"What do you mean 'what's it like'?"

"I haven't left that dungeon since I was four months old. Agni is the only being I have met besides the badgermoles and well now you."

"I…I guess were sort of the same then."

"What? How?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"…"

The two descended into silence once more. Toph led them up the slide by forming a ledge in the earth and using her earth bending to carry them upwards towards the surface.

"I can feel the fire returning. We must hurry."

Toph increased their speed and changed their direction towards the other formation in the earth. Beads of sweat were beginning to form upon her brow from the strain of both clearing a path and carrying them at such a high speed.

A few minutes of tense silence later they burst upwards. Straight into the middle of the throne room of one angry Prince Zuko.

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**(A/N) :) Moihahahahaha! The dreaded cliffhanger!**

**You can skip this next part if your not the type of person who likes to read responces to reviews...**

**Guest - Happy you liked the story :)**

**WarriorServent - Glad you liked the story. Here are your maniac points :) *gives WarriorServent a couple of ticktacks* (I can't wait to see where this story takes me either)**

**GoddessMari17 - Thanks, I hope I continue it aswell (fingers crossed) I hope this chapter forged a different path from your stories :) Sorry if I caused any offence...**

**Now then...**

**Since it's kind of my tradition to cause massive travesties to befall my characters...**

**What do you guys want me to put Azula through? I already have some ideas... :) Theres a Poll on my Profile for all those interested.**

**Please aid Bob the review button battle the strange disease known only as 'I DON'T LIKE PERSONAL SPACE' by clicking him and writing a review :)**

**~ Your beloved Maniac**

**FoM**

**P.S. Tell me if you like the new sign-off 2...it felt right!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) This here is a new chapter!**

**I don't own the most magnificent world of Avatar.**

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Shocked silence followed the arrival of the two new fighters into the room.

Smoke billowed out of the hole that Toph had blasted in the floor and the figure standing besides her created an eerie presence through the smoke. Her form was distorted but she seemed tall compared to the small statue of Toph.

"Hello Zuzu, are you having friends over for tea?" The voice that came from the smoke was definitely not Toph's as it lacked the base roughness that came with being an earth bender. It also lacked the higher soprano pitch that Toph's gravelly voice was based at.

Sokka glanced down at his clock. They only have 4 more minutes left in the eclipse! He nudged Aang, who was standing besides him, into action as he turned to face the Dai Lee agents that Zuko had summoned.

"Stand back Raava. This is a fight between siblings." The voice spoke again.

"I have no siblings! You are a stranger to me! I shall defeat you for father. I shall withhold my own honor!" Zuko's voice was startled. He faced the stranger with uncertainty. Toph shoved Aang over towards the Dai Lee. They seemed to be content to stand there and wait for their master to get attacked.

"I am the daughter of Agni. As such it is my duty to destroy all disgraces." The voice was eerily angry now. The tension was mounting quickly. Happily the silence was shattered as fire flew from the smoke.

Immediately the Dai Lee charged into action and earth erupted from all sides as Toph and Aang defended themselves.

Sokka jumped around desperately, and wished once more that he could bend.

The figure stepped out of the smoke then. She stood at around Katara's height. Her hair was short and spiked up all around her head. It was blacker than Zuko's. Her skin was whiter than snow and her eyes shinned a resilient gold with a bright blue circle surrounding her iris. She wore simple fire kingdom peasant style clothing. Except instead of the usual red and black. Hers were blue and black.

Upon her head rested a black top hat with a blue stripe.

"Recognize me now Zuzu?"

"I don't care who you are! Fight me!"

"I'm your sister Zuzu. I'm Azula."

"She died! Father…father said she died!"

"But I didn't die Zuzu. I've always been under the palace."

"Father never lies! Father NEVER lies!"

Zuko was growing more and more frantic by the second. He had a manic look in his eyes. It was then that Azula attacked once more.

Holding out a hand she snapped her fingers. A blue flame appeared in her hand. It flickered with bright spots of white, showing just how hot it was.

"If I touched a piece of ice with this flame, it would immediately form into steam. That is how hot the flames of Agni truly are." Azula's declaration scared Zuko even further. He stared wide-eyed at her before snarling and drawing his dual blades.

"I won't fail father. I will never fail father!"

Azula closed her hand and let the flame extinguish.  
"As you wish."

Azula charged forward. Her fire was beginning to form upon her fingertips.

"I won't fail father!" Zuko charged forward to meet her.

Just as they reached each other the eclipse was over. Azula's flames strengthened and Zuko incased his swords with his red fire. The flames clashed but Zuko's weaker flames were engulfed by Azula's raging blue fire. The red flame was engulfed by the blue and Zuko let out a screech as Azula's fire burned his hands.

She stood with her hands placed firmly upon the blades of his swords. Her raging blue fire spiraled down the sword to Zuko's hands.

All the fighting around them stopped as they watched the fire bending prodigy squirm. His hands slackened on the sword as the pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the floor.

Azula glanced down at her brother with distain before kicking him in the face. She let out a wicked laugh as he fainted from the pain. Blood began to pour out from his nose as she laughed.

The blood drained from Aang and Sokka's faces as they watched the apparently insane girl laugh at her brother's beaten body. The flames upon her hands swirled higher up her arms until the twisting mass of flames covered her completely.

"You haven't changed Zuzu! But let me tell you, I have. I am the strongest bender of this and all time!" Azula's maniacal laughter filled the room and chilled the souls of all those present.

Sokka, Aang and Toph glanced at each other in worry. Each was thinking the same thing '_Strongest Bender? What about the Avatar?'_

Aang was the one to vocalize their thoughts.  
"Hey! What about me! I'm the Avatar!"

"Raava is a pitiful disgrace to the spirit world," Azula glances down at the sobbing form of her brother. "Even her children's children are weak. Take Zuzu here for example. He's barely strong enough to take even a small portion of my flame."

This time it was Sokka who spoke up. "But aren't you his brother? Wouldn't that make you a 'child of Raava' as you put it?"

Azula's flames were flowing away now. "I am his half sister. I was born from Fire Prince Ozai and Duchess Mai. Now, we best be off for Father is sure to come and investigate."

She walked briskly through the room. As she walked past she spied the Dai Lee agents encased in stone.

Glancing back she spotted Toph's grinning face and she smirked knowingly.

Turning back around she walked out the opening that used to be blocked by a door.

Schooling her face back into his usual calm and placid tones was as easy as it had always been. Her father seemed to have passed down the ability to lie and conceal emotions through her genes. It helps that Agni loved lying too though.

Calmly she strode through the hallways. Agni had taught her much and currently she was using one of her favorite skills. While Toph's seismic sense allowed her to feel the earth; Azula's stretched into the inner fire all life forms had.

Animals such as squirrels or mice would have small flames while larger animals such as caribou or humans had medium sized flames.

The ones with the largest flames were the spirits. They're flames burnt with all the power that they contained within them.

Behind her the trio was talking in hushed tones while sending a few nervous glances her way.

"I'm not Zuzu, I have no motive to hurt you. Yet that is." Azula's voice startled them out of their stupor.

"Right. Well…I'm Aang and this is Sokka! He's a really meaty guy."

Aang's voice was high pitched and annoying to Azula's sensitive ears.

"What do you mean meaty! Do I look fat to you or something?"

"No…no! I just mean that you . . . like meat?"

Sokka grumbled and huffed with his arms crossed.

"Will you two idiots be quiet?" Toph's voice was gruff. She was staring at the figure in front of them with slight concern.

Her worries were mainly centered on what would happen should this girl suddenly decide that she didn't enjoy their company. Toph could tell that she wasn't lying when she said that she was the 'Strongest Bender of All Time'. And if she was the strongest bender then that meant Toph would be child's play. For she knew that Aang could beat her easily.

"Raava, why do you hate my brother?"

"Why do you call me Raava?"

"Because you're the avatar, now answer my question."

"He's evil! He took over the Earth Kingdom!"

"I'll take it back over within the week."

This left Aang spluttering in surprise. His cheeks reddened in embarrassment and he decided it would be a good idea to quiet down.

When they reached the surface Aang whistled. Azula didn't seem fazed in the least; in fact she seemed to be expecting it.

Thus when they glanced at her in surprise she shrugged. While most royalty though this was frowned on, Agni found it funny that his daughter loved shrugging.

It was something that she didn't get from her father. And he was proud to say that he wasn't a strict parent. In fact Agni was a bright and carefree spirit once you got to know him.

He just hated usurpers, and every royal child was one.

Ozai had stolen his fire.

Iroh had locked him down here, for apparently he was a bad spirit.

Sozin had began the stories. He had been the one to start the trail of bad leaders. He was the one whom had decided that their god had to be evil.

Together they had covered Agni in darkness, hopping to smother his light.

But they had forgotten something,

His fire burned brightest in the dark.

It was a trait he shared with his daughter.

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**(A/N) DUN DUN DUNNNNN! Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this!**

**Oh and don't worry...all that smiling was just another step towards the friendship!**

**Also, the poll will remain posted for a few more chapters. So yeah... **

**Here there be review response thingies!**

**3dskeepmoving ~ Thankles :)  
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**Oh and the mutilation and stuff won't happen until later...which is why I've only just posted the poll :P**

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**Your Beloved Maniac**

**~FoM**


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